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poliphilo ([personal profile] poliphilo) wrote2011-08-20 03:30 pm

Fruit Talk

We have lots of apples- and there are still plenty more on the tree. It's my father-in-law's tree but he isn't eating any. Ailz took some with her on a curtain-buying trip yesterday and handed them out to friends and family. Today I made apple sauce. I make good apple sauce. Cut apples up,  add a generous amount of fresh ginger, cook in orange juice or white wine (whichever is closer to hand), add sugar to taste (I don't add any because we're going low carb). My father-in-law also has a pear tree- and it's loaded  but not yet ready to pick.  I'm not fond of pears. I think they're bland- and I don't know of any way of fixing them I enjoy. His plum tree- which was brilliant last season and the season before- seems to have died. 

[identity profile] dadi.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 03:32 pm (UTC)(link)
That sounds interesting. What do you eat the apple sauce with? Does it keep a while or has it to be used immediately?
Our apple tree is very full too this year. We are baking apple cakes and making apple puree like crazy.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I usually eat it with pork.

I guess it'll keep a few days. Usually I only make as much as we can eat in a day.

[identity profile] cluegirl.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 07:54 pm (UTC)(link)
For pears; consider poaching them in white wine, and then serving them with a sauce made of bleu cheese and honey. That is, by far, the most delicious way I have ever experienced a pear.

Come to that, when I find pears that are ripe, I will often just make the cheese/honey dip and cut the pears into slivers to eat with it raw.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2011-08-20 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
That sounds delicious. Thanks.

I'll try it. If I had any pears to hand I'd try it now.

[identity profile] sorenr.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
I normally poach pears in red wine with a bit of sugar, and then I reduce the wine to a syrup and serve it with a spoonful of Greek yogurt. (Occasionally I add aniseed to the wine as well when I'm in the mood for it.)

But yes, like dadi said... Pears with blue cheese sauce is to die for!

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 08:48 am (UTC)(link)
That sounds good. When the pears come in I'll give it a whirl.

[identity profile] michaleen.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 10:03 am (UTC)(link)
I like apples stewed in white wine, but hadn't considered adding ginger. Must try that.

Pears don't do much for me, either. The house in which I grew up had a pear tree. To me, the most interesting thing about it was the large nest the bald-faced hornets built there, each year. They loved the pears and you had to be very careful where you stepped, as a consequence.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2011-08-22 08:49 am (UTC)(link)
I grew up in a house that had a little orchard of fruit trees- plum and apple and pear. My mother used to make loads of jam.

[identity profile] michaleen.livejournal.com 2011-08-22 10:06 am (UTC)(link)
My fondest memory is of my mother's cherry trees. I can remember, as plainly as if it were yesterday, that when they came in I would get up each morning, before dawn, climb to the top of the tree, and stuff myself full of cherries while they were still wet with dew.

Also, I was terribly spoiled by such experiences. I don't much care for fruit because it too often only reminds me of what fruit is supposed to be like.

[identity profile] solar-diablo.livejournal.com 2011-08-21 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Pear slices wrapped in prosciutto and set on top of crackers with a good goat cheese or havarti.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2011-08-22 08:51 am (UTC)(link)
Hmmm interesting. I'm not greatly fond of goat's cheese though- too acidic for my taste. I'd look to substitute something blue.

[identity profile] silveredmane.livejournal.com 2011-08-22 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
I like pears poached in cranberry juice or diluted pomegranate molasses - sometimes with a spoon of warm mascarpone cheese and the rest of the poaching liquid drizzled over the top.

[identity profile] poliphilo.livejournal.com 2011-08-22 08:52 am (UTC)(link)
Sounds good. The thing about pears seems to be that you add flavours to them. They don't really stand alone.